"Preface" [2020] ELECD 139; in Muller, O. Marcus; Mulder, A.M. Cees (eds), "Proceedings Before the European Patent Office" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2020) xiii

Book Title: Proceedings Before the European Patent Office

Editor(s): Müller, O. Marcus; Mulder, A.M. Cees

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Section Title: Preface

Number of pages: 2

Extract:

Preface


The idea for this book emanated from the series of `Opposition and
Appeal' seminars jointly organised by the European Patent Institute
and the European Patent Office. The reactions from the audience in
relation to the content of the seminars encouraged the two speakers,
Marcus O. Müller and Cees A.M. Mulder, to prepare and publish a
book on opposition and appeal with emphasis on the practical and
tactical aspects of the opposition and appeal procedure.

It is believed that the book provides a better understanding of how
opposition divisions and boards of appeal approach the cases before
them. By way of this understanding, European Patent Attorneys will
be better prepared for dealing with the relevant issues in opposition
and appeal proceedings, such as, e.g., how to properly attack or defend
a patent, how to argue in case of late filings, how to react if the patent
is amended, or how to prepare for and act in oral proceedings. In addi-
tion, the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal which entered
into force in January 2020 are discussed, including their influence on
opposition proceedings.

The book also gives advice to applicants and patent attorneys
about what should be avoided when drafting and prosecuting a
European patent application. Minor errors in the starting phase
and during prosecution of the application may have a detrimental
effect later on in opposition and appeal proceedings. In the seminars,
this subject was dealt with at the end. For the purpose of ...